Amadeus

1984

US

2h 52min

PG

Directed by: Milos Forman

Cast: Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge

Screenwriter Peter Shaffer's story of Vienna court composer Antonio Salieri and his plot to engineer the downfall of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a 'giggling, dirty-minded creature' with a God-given musical talent, thankfully remains intact. But what is most clear from a repeat viewing is the undiminished quality of Abraham's performance, giving depth to a glitterball of a movie whose colourful surface could otherwise be too diverting.